FAQs

What is Psychology Counseling and Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy addresses personal difficulties. It allows you to talk openly and confidentially about your concerns and feelings with a trained professional.

Psychotherapy may be useful if

You’re facing situations causing you stress, anxiety and upset.

You are experiencing intense or uncomfortable feelings such as anger, sadness, fear, frustration and depression.

You are behaving in ways which don`t fit your normal pattern, don`t serve your needs, or are problematic to you or others.

You are thinking thoughts that are peculiar, hard to understand, out-of-control or disturbing.

You`ve experienced a traumatic event, such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, a serious accident or a criminal injury.

You are dealing with a relationship issue or family conflict.

You’re going through a difficult life transition, such as the death of a loved one, a life-threatening illness, divorce, separation, or a mid-life crisis.

You are challenged by family issues, such as parenting, child-rearing, adolescence, and aging parents.

You need help with an addiction such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex or gambling.

You have an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

You are facing difficulties with matters of gender identity, sexual orientation, racism and oppression.

You wish to explore spiritual issues, questions of meaning or matters of faith.

Where can I find a good psychology counsellor, or a psychotherapist? What qualification do they have?

In North America, the following qualifications are required for psychology counselor and psychotherapy.

Clinical Psychotherapists Requirements:

Normally Clinical Members shall

Hold an appropriate graduate degree from a recognized university (psychology, counselling, social work, medicine, theology, humanities, or a related program, a copy of which should accompany the application.

Alternatively, experienced psychotherapists who do not have a graduate degree will be considered for membership on an individual basis by the Membership Committee. Both experience and training will be assessed as an equivalent to the graduate program.

These Clinical Members shall have 1000 hours of clinical experience working primarily with individuals. Members must be university graduates and demonstrate learning in at least four (4) of the following six (6) areas as they relate to psychotherapy:

Theory

Methodology/Clinical Skills

Research/Literature Review

Assessment/Testing

Intellectual Inquiry

Writing Skills.

Knowledge in these areas may be drawn from the following sources: courses, seminars, training workshops, professional conferences and work experience. These sources shall be in addition to personal psychotherapy or psychotherapy training

Psychotherapy Training: must have specific training in psychotherapy or have completed an academic graduate degree or counselling practicum.

Clinical Psychotherapy Practice: must have a minimum of one thousand hours of professional clinical work as a psychotherapist. This clinical work must be mainly with individuals.

Supervision: must have completed a minimum of one hundred hours of one-to-one supervision. Ordinarily an applicant is expected to have had at least two supervisors, neither of whom have concurrently served as the applicant`s personal psychotherapist.

Individual Psychotherapy: must have completed a minimum of one hundred and fifty hours of personal psychotherapy. At least fifty hours of this must be individual and consecutive with one psychotherapist.

Liability Insurance: must have, or apply and be approved for, professional liability insurance.

How can psychotherapy help me?

Psychotherapy can help you take charge of your life and deal with daily problems in a more effective way. With your therapist you will be working towards feeling stronger, happier, and having greater control in the choices you make. Psychotherapy is a healing as well as a learning process.

What are some reasons for seeking psychotherapy?

They are as different as the people who seek it. Some feel life is unfulfilling. Some want to add depth to their life. Many are experiencing emotional pain. Whenever you feel that life should be better, you can`t cope, or can`t go on, it`s a sign that psychotherapy can be of assistance.

What situations can psychotherapy help?

In general, any situation that feels painful, limiting and unsatisfying.

This can include:

Depression

Anxiety

Relationship problems

Grief

Eating disorders and poor body image

Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

Sexual problems

Substance abuse

Stress-related health concerns

Gender-related issues

Life transitions, including mid-life crisis

Self-destructive behavior

Spiritual issues

How much does psychotherapy cost?

Our psychotherapists` rates average range $80 – $200 per session in North America, France, Taiwan and Hong Kong and300—1000 yuan in Mainland China. The fees depend on the counsellor or psychotherapist’s education/training, background, and work experience.

How long will I have to be in therapy?

The length of the therapy is determined by the challenges you want to resolve, and what outcome you are seeking. Some people are satisfied with one consultation, some stay in therapy for a short time. For others, psychotherapy becomes a vehicle for personal development and greater self-awareness over a longer period. How long you stay in therapy is always your choice.

How often do I have to attend?

The frequency of sessions can vary depending on your needs. The most common is once per week, but some clients wish to have more frequent sessions. Most of our therapists work on a 50 minute hour, but again, this is determined by your needs.

Do you accept insurance or EAP?

Yes, many of our therapists accept clients whose treatment will be paid for by insurance companies or by EAPs of companies or governments departments (EAP=Employee assistance program). In North America, most offer EAPs for their employees as a benefit (such as dental services, physiotherapy and massage). More and more foreign companies in China are paying attention to the mental health of employees, and offer EAP services for their employees.

Do you provide services over the internet?

We do internet sessions with clients who live in Mainland China. In Toronto, however, we only allow sessions with clients in person.

Do I have to pay if I can’t make an appointment?

For most of our counsellors, you have to cancel 48 hours prior to the appointment by phone to not be charged for your missed sessions. We can help you reschedule your appointment, or help you choose a new counsellor if needed.

In psychotherapy, do I do all the talking, with the doctor remaining always silent?

No, the psychotherapist intervenes whenever he/she can contribute something to the understanding of your internal world. Psychotherapy is not like conversations you might have with a friend.

Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, we accept credit cards, debit cards, cash and cheque.

What rules and codes of ethic are there to regulate your therapists?

Code of Ethics – Psychotherapists in Lingyu International Psychology Centre

conduct their professional practices with honesty and integrity;

maintain privacy and confidentiality with respect to their clients;

maintain the therapeutic relationship without exploiting it for social, personal, or financial gain;

maintain awareness of the impact of their behaviour both during the course of therapy and afterward, and avoid any action that uses the imbalance of power to exploit the client for their own personal ends;

commit themselves to the evolving process of ethical thinking and to finding ethical solutions to problematic situations;

assume responsibility for their own emotional, mental, and physical health;

are responsive to the community and the society in which they work and live, and they contribute to their communities in ways consistent with their skills and interests;

recognize and respect the diversity to be found among themselves and clients and uphold the value of freedom of expression

recognize and respect that their diverse personalities, styles and training backgrounds contribute to positive therapeutic opportunities for clients and to the growth of the profession as a whole;

recognize the value of constructive dissent to enhance both clinical research and professional development and work professionally, critically and creatively with the inherent tensions to which such dissent challenges them.

I am experiencing problems but I do not know how to choose among Psychiatrist, Psychologists, Counsellor, or Psychotherapist.

There are some difference among Psychiatrist Psychologist and Psychology counsellor Psychotherapist

Psychiatrist

A medical doctor who specializes in the assessment and treatment of mental and behavioural disorders. This is the person that prescribes and monitors medication. Some are also psychoanalysts, and do intensive psychotherapy as well.

Psychologist

A Ph.D. in psychology trained and educated to perform psychological research, testing, and therapy. Not all Psy.D (Ph.D. Psychology) are qualified for psychology counselling or psychotherapy. He/She may only be qualified after systematic training and meet the standards of becoming a psychology counsellor or a psychotherapist. Only then he/she may start clinical practice.

Psychotherapist

An individual, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatric social worker, or specifically trained clinician who practices psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy involves interpersonal, relational interventions used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients in problems of living. This usually includes increasing the individual`s sense of well-being and reducing subjective discomforting experiences. Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques based on experiential relationship building, dialogue, communication, interpretation and behavior change. The benefits of these are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family).

I have came to know there are many psychotherapists at Lingyu International Psychology Center are trained as psychoanalyst. What is psychoanalysis psychotherapy?

Psychoanalysis is based on the following theory: Our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are often affected by factors we cannot feel (unconscious). However these subconscious factors are vital in determining our self-image, sense of fulfillment, joy of life and other aspects. A psychoanalyst will help a client explore his or her subconscious by analyzing aspects thinking, emotion, memory, fantasy, dreams and defense mechanisms in a warm and comfortable way to the client. Psychoanalysts will analyze and help a client understand why he or she felt or behaved in a certain way. These emotions and behaviors are associated with, or result from previous experiences that have occurred throughout life, that may be remembered as significant. The psychoanalyst will help and guide client to explore his or her inner world, helping clients to understand themselves for therapeutic effect. It also helps the client in resolving life problems or lacking motivation for life. Appointments with psychoanalysts may be as often as one to three times for therapy, or three to five times a week for analysis. Psychoanalysis does often involve client lying comfortably on a sofa, but therapy and motivation sessions have the client talk face to face with the psychoanalyst.